19 October 2016

Have you heard of London Councils?

So council tax payers give this body almost 700 million £ to play with and you don't know who they are.

In the parking area they set the contravention code descriptions, they suggest PCN values for the Mayor to decide upon, they run London Tribunals (formerly PATAS) which independently adjudicate on PCN issued by the boroughs who provide the funds with which to run London Councils and they host quarterly meetings of parking managers which have, until today, taken place without the disinfecting glare of publicity.

Mr Mustard decided to ask for the minutes. This is what he got for the June 16 meeting.

Note the redaction (blacking out) of the names of every single person who was in the room. Now that isn't what Mr Mustard calls open and transparent and the names of managers, likely to earn enough to be within the definition for release of senior employee & public facing, really should be released.

Mr Mustard wonders about the point of these quarterly meetings. If they are really important then surely every London local authority would send a person to keep abreast of developments in the world of parking (and moving traffic). If they are just a talking shop followed by a trip to the local tavern then fair enough, don't bother.

The following boroughs did not send a delegate (most boroughs have 50 to 100 employees in parking so you would think they could find someone who fancied a trip up town?)

BarnetCroydonGreenwichHackneyHaveringHillingdonKensington & ChelseaKingstonMertonRedbridgewhich is more than a quarter of them.There is more to come on this subject.Yours frugallyMr Mustard